Sardinian Warbler

Males of the Sardinian warbler

The Sardinian Warbler (Sylvia melanocephala ) is a passerine bird in the genus of warblers (Sylvia ). It occurs in the Mediterranean, is a little shy and often shows up.

Description

At 13 to 14 inches in length, the Sardinian warbler is about as large as the Lesser Whitethroat. The throat and under tail-coverts are white, the tail dark.

Adult males have a black head and dark gray back, blurred transition between the neck. The breast and belly are lighter gray. The red eye-ring is pronounced. The outer tail feathers are white at the tips.

Females have a gray head, brown back and gray-brown flanks. The belly is lighter brown. The eye ring is matte red than that of the male.

Voice

The loud lock and Erregungsruf is a hard " tseck ".

The conspicuous warning call consists of a series of stuttering - rattling, one or zweisilbiger sounds: " trr trr trr trr trr - " or "ti - ti - TRRÜ TRRÜ ti - ti - TRRÜ TRRü ", also with a different first sound " tüRETT trett - trett - trett - trett ".

The song consists of creaking and crunching sounds, very short whistling and inserted, rattling call in two to five seconds long verses in a rapid pace.

Habitat and Distribution

The Sardinian warbler lives in areas with dense undergrowth and tall bushes, in open, niederwüchsigen forests with undergrowth, and personally close to gardens and trees.

It is spread around the Mediterranean and is found in large parts of Spain and Italy before, each with the exception of the North, continues in Morocco. Because of the mild climate, this type does not move south in the winter, however, some individuals draw to North Africa.

Reproduction

In April or May, the Sardinian warbler builds very low in dense bushes a small cup-shaped nest. The three to five eggs are deposited sequentially on different days and often look very different from. Incubation period is 13 to 14 days, with the parents alternate for breeding or feeding. The boys leave on the tenth or eleventh day the nest to hide in the foliage. The Sardinian warbler nests once or twice in a season.

Food

The diet consists mainly of insects, but also from berries.